Well we've all heard about the cancellation of IAH-AKL, now we see the cancellation of IAH-CDG. I've been searching around and it seems they're also getting rid of IAH-ACT, IAH-AVL and IAH-GSO beginning at the end of summer. Any guesses on more cuts?

Quoting PlaneAdmirer (Reply 1): When they cut 50 or 100 flights a day from IAH that will be in "earnest."

I'm not sure why you think they need to cut 1/6 of their schedule for that to be an earnest pull down. They announced 10% reduction, and this starts getting it there. Between the routes I mentioned that is 7 daily departures, across 5 destinations that will no longer (or never started) be served.

BPT was/is also 3x daily, so if you include that it's 10 daily flights to 6 destinations that have been eliminated.

I don't believe it's a pulldown. Just merger related efficiencies.
It only makes sense. No panic please.CLE would be a different story though. In due time.

Also: DL is not as crazy as many would make you believe on a.net. DL has cut many routes. For a reason. In order for UA to stay competitive and stay sharp, they have to do the same.
Gone are the days of having planes fly everywhere with lower yields/LF's.

[Edited 2012-06-29 07:46:33]

Question Conventional Wisdom. While not all commonly held beliefs are wrong…all should be questioned.

When IAH is no longer UA's largest hub then it's time to start talking about draw downs, but, correct me if I'm wrong, even with these latest cuts IAH will still be UA's largest hub. As folks have already mentioned there's more to the carrier now then EWR and IAH, there are some places where IAH will grow ( 767s on IAH-LIM) and some places where they will right size.

The announcement was (political) theater related to international expansion at HOU. CO always cut capacity by around 10% between summer and fall. The only difference this time is that they have announced it, as opposed to just doing it quietly in years past.

CDG is probably saturated from the US, it has reportedly low yields for everyone but DL.

I'd wait for further evidence before pronouncing the death of IAH.

Besides, drawing down IAH too much would be stupid. It would leave UA as the only major carrier without a hub that is immune to winter schedule-wreaking havoc-creating weather.

Look, the changes that will take place at IAH are nothing earth-shattering. Airlines need to evolve in midst of difficult circumstances. Given oil prices, the economic situation in Europe, etc. etc, United simply is re-defining the role that IAH is playing in their network. As a mid-continent hub located relatively "South," IAH is well suited for East-West traffic flows across the U.S. and is, and will always be, UA's primary gateway between the Americas. It is NOT designed to be the European TATL gateway, nor the TPAC gateway.

Routes like CDG are tourist-driven and low-yielding. AKL made sense for PMCO when times were very, very different. The merger synergies completely altered the business case for IAHAKL and UA was clearly looking for an excuse to pull the plug on that one, and so they found it.

Much like DFW, IAH will retain a few token routes that can support traffic to places like NRT, LHR, and AMS as well as a few key Star Alliance hubs, but beyond that UA isn't going to transform it into an all-out mega intercontinental gateway. In a few months this will all be old news.

Quoting blueflyer (Reply 8):I'd wait for further evidence before pronouncing the death of IAH.

Quoting planespotting (Reply 9):Like I always say, as routes to Ashevile and Greensboro go, so goes the rest of the hub ...

No one is pronouncing the death of IAH. I'm simply stating a fact, that they've now announced about a 2% reduction in daily departures (not sure about ASMs) and that it plays along with the announced 10% reduction. I'm not speculating on the reasons for the reduction, just stating a fact.

I bet the IAH-CDG suffered with the start of IAH-LOS. It sucks for people who want to travel between CDG and IAH on UA, but everyone else has plenty of other choices for connections. AKL never made any sense under the new UA, anyway.

Quoting ScottB (Reply 16):IAH-CDG is not necessarily tourist-driven, with Total's global headquarters near Paris and U.S. headquarters in Houston. Then again, AF probably has this contract.

It is definitely more tourism-driven when compared to other European cities (LHR, FRA, BRU, AMS etc) served from the US. It's why noticeably capacity to CDG becomes much more constrained during the winter seasons.

Quoting IrishAyes (Reply 17):It is definitely more tourism-driven when compared to other European cities (LHR, FRA, BRU, AMS etc) served from the US.

CDG may be more tourism-driven in the aggregate, but IAH-CDG has a heavy business component; that's why AF sends an aircraft with an F cabin to IAH, even though IAH is a Star hub. ORD only sees a business cabin from AF.

Quoting RDH3E (Thread starter):I've been searching around and it seems they're also getting rid of IAH-ACT, IAH-AVL and IAH-GSO beginning at the end of summer. Any guesses on more cuts?

DL has dropped ATL-MSL. I wonder if they are closing their ATL hub?????? :p

IAH-GSO is a seasonal route in terms of traffic. That means nothing. ACT and AVL are very small markets. They were questionable to begin with. I also think AKL-IAH was always stupid. There was no local market at all. If they dropped IAH-LOS I'd be more surprised with the oil business on that flight.

IAH-CDG is kind of surprising. I guess I'd say it is similar to why they didn't fly DEN-NRT until DEN gave them a massive pile of gold. There were better gateways in between.

I think that the overall plan of punishing IAH is childish and the routes being slashed have nothing to do with Mexico where WN will fly in many years when it is all finished. I think most of this stuff they are cutting was going to be cut anyway, but I do think that they are being more aggressive about not letting things that aren't going well play out because of their crazy anger.

By comparison, perhaps the City of Houston should have introduced a curfew at IAH after they moved the HQ to Chicago. That would be about the same level of childishness.

Most of the IAH cuts have been in terms of freq. cuts look at the OAG postings. Many a city is losing one daily flight (sans MAF which was increased....OIL?)

CDG cuts is not great for me (I fly it several times a year) but I am happy to still have the AF option non-stop. I always prefer non-stop in my business.

I am also not happy with the Toluca cut as I much prefered it to MEX.

In terms of what has been announced or loaded we are probably close to 8% now. Only a few more to go.
The prop flying is a different animal. Victoria was subsidized and they can drive to other aiports (SAT, HOU). BPT is a little surprising.

I am curious as to what will happen with Del Rio. That service has been popular, even with props.

“Without seeing Sicily it is impossible to understand Italy.Sicily is the key of everything.”-Goethe "Journey to Italy"

Quoting Enilria (Reply 20):I think that the overall plan of punishing IAH is childish and the routes being slashed have nothing to do with Mexico where WN will fly in many years when it is all finished. I think most of this stuff they are cutting was going to be cut anyway, but I do think that they are being more aggressive about not letting things that aren't going well play out because of their crazy anger.

Enrilia, you are absolutely right that these cuts were probably going to happen no matter what. The HOU debacle just gave UA cover under which to cut and have it look (see Mogando's post) like Smisek was playing hardball. But to anyone paying attention they are really just pruning unprofitable flying with the added bonus of seeming to apply political pressure. This is not retaliation for anything, Smisek isn't stupid, he knows he needs the city of Houston and won't do anything to jeopordize that.